Votive relief of Nyoirin Kannon 如意輪観音 - Granite - Japan - An’ei 7 安永七年 (1778)

Granite votive relief depicting Nyoirin Kannon 如意輪観音, an esoteric manifestation of Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion

Japan, dated to the seventh year of An’ei 安永 (1778)

This sekibutsu 石仏, or stone Buddhist image, depicts Nyoirin Kannon seated in relief with one knee raised and the head gently inclined towards the raised right hand. Inscriptions flank the figure on the pointed halo (kōhai 光背), with the date carved on the viewer’s right. Patches of lichen remain on the weathered surface.
Known in Sanskrit as Cintāmaṇicakra, Nyoirin Kannon takes its name from the wish-fulfilling jewel and the Dharma wheel. In esoteric Buddhism, this form of Kannon is believed to grant wishes and relieve suffering throughout the six realms of existence.

Stone images of this kind were erected as devotional monuments at temples, along pilgrimage routes, beside roads and in villages.

Condition · Very good overall, with considerable weathering, some blemishes along the edge, surface wear and patination consistent with age and prolonged outdoor exposure. Please refer to the photographs for details.

Weight · 11.4 kg